William

@RuLittlewood @matt_horncastle They already do that with prohibition.

@matt_horncastle The trouble is that that adult indulging in their own home becomes an addict, has a car crash under the influence, kills 3 other people and becomes tetraplegic themself. Thus becoming a burden on the taxpayer. Or something equally expensive.

Drugs. This is one of my more controversial opinions, and it is a complicated one. So let me say something clearly first. I am not pro drugs. Drugs destroy lives. Drug addiction is not rational. It does not respond to logic or love. It chews through families and futures and leaves wreckage behind. I am not cheering for drugs. I am thinking honestly about how a society should deal with them. And I land somewhere a lot of people will disagree with. I do not believe any drugs should be illegal. I do not believe the government should decide what a free adult puts in their own body. Hear me out. When you make a class of product illegal, the demand does not disappear. The consumer always finds it. So what you create is a product bought mostly by the poorest people, at massively inflated prices, manufactured entirely in the criminal world. No taxation. No regulation. No quality control. No company to hold accountable. Just violence, abuse, and gangs. We invented the worst possible market and act surprised it produces the worst outcomes. Now imagine the alternative. Drugs sold by companies that pay tax. Companies you can sue when their product harms you. Proper dosages and warnings on the label. Age restrictions, like we do for alcohol. The criminal industry collapses overnight. The violence goes with it. The state collects revenue instead of spending billions chasing people. Let me be fair to the other side. I have a lot of respect for the Singapore model. Death penalty for trafficking. Almost no drug problem. A clean, safe, prosperous society. They made a hard call and the results speak for themselves. So you have two extremes that both make sense. Total freedom, or total prohibition with real teeth. What does not work is what most of the West does now. Half illegal, half tolerated. No deterrent. No regulation. No tax. The criminal world keeps the industry. The poorest pay the highest price. When I weigh the two extremes honestly, I land on freedom. Not because drugs are good. But because individual freedom is the most important thing a country can protect. Nobody should decide what an adult puts in their body. Especially not the government. And here is where I draw the line. If you take drugs and hurt someone. If you take drugs and commit a crime. You should be prosecuted to the full force of the law. No excuses. But if you consume something, in your own home, and hurt nobody. That is your choice. Not the government's. That is what freedom means.

@philthatremains Thomas Sowell

Bill Murray

@actparty Ought to go further, no welfare for non citizens.

𝗠𝗮𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗶𝗺𝗺𝗶𝗴𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗡𝗲𝘄 𝗭𝗲𝗮𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗱 ACT is announcing new policy to make immigration work for New Zealand. One that welcomes people, but only if they share values of tolerance, freedom and democracy, help build infrastructure, and play by the rules. “New Zealand is a settler society. From those who arrived in open boats 700 years ago, to those who arrived at Auckland Airport this morning, our country has been built by people willing to make a journey to try and build something better,” says ACT Leader David Seymour. “Immigration has enriched New Zealand. In less than 200 years, New Zealand has gone from a series of isolated villages, to a network of modern cities connected by road, rail, air, and sea, with electricity, the internet, and the three waters. “Each wave of settlement has also built the Kiwi character that is respected around the world. Kiwis are recognised in everything from business to sport to peacekeeping as resourceful and thoughtful, firm but fair people who keep their word and can fix anything. “Today, Kiwis who are proud of our settler heritage are asking themselves why something doesn’t quite feel right with immigration. ACT believes their suspicions are correct. “Successive governments have let a skilled-migration system become a general-purpose labour tap. They have failed to enforce the rules they set. They have allowed infrastructure to fall further behind. And they have asked too little of people who want to benefit from the Kiwi character without supporting it. “The rate of settlement has overwhelmed the ability to provide infrastructure. Dunedin took 180 years to build, but we add the population of Dunedin in a couple of years while we struggle to build a hospital in Dunedin itself. “We are told that the immigration system is a strict one focused on delivering the right skills to New Zealand. On paper we do have a strict system, but even those who want to believe that cannot see it. Too often they shake their heads and ask, if we have a system targeting skilled migrants, how did a guy who can’t even find an address on GPS get here? “We recognise there are different issues in urban centres compared to rural New Zealand, where populations are lower and it’s a lot harder to find people willing to get up first thing in the morning and do a hard day’s work on the farm. “ACT’s policy restores the basic bargain that New Zealand was built on. People are welcome here if they contribute, respect our democratic values, and help build the country.” ACT’s six-point plan is: 1.⁠ ⁠Deport serious offenders ACT will ensure Resident Visa holders convicted of offences carrying sentences of 10 years or more can be deported no matter how long they’ve been here. This goes further than the Government’s current proposal to extend liability to 20 years. 2.⁠ ⁠Skilled visas for skilled jobs Accredited Employer Work Visas are meant to fill crucial skills gaps, but too often the gaps close and the categories remain wide open. ACT will have each skill category automatically expire every year. To remain open, they would need to show up-to-date evidence of demand. 3.⁠ ⁠Opportunity, not dependency ACT will introduce a five-year welfare stand-down for all residence class visa holders. That means no jobseeker support, accommodation supplement, or income-tested benefits for a migrant’s first five years here. 4.⁠ ⁠A fair contribution for infrastructure ACT will introduce a $6 per day infrastructure surcharge on temporary work visas, on top of existing charges. This ensures migrants contribute to New Zealand’s infrastructure from day one, before they start paying tax. The fee is expected to raise around $80 million a year, while remaining more affordable than comparable visas in Australia and the United Kingdom. 5.⁠ ⁠Stronger English language requirements ACT will extend basic English language requirements to all AEWV types. Lower standards will still be permitted for seasonal workers. 6.⁠ ⁠Enforce the rules There are 20,980 known overstayers in New Zealand right now. ACT will establish a dedicated overstayer enforcement unit within Immigration New Zealand. Platform employers such as Uber and DoorDash will be required to verify and report work rights. Employers who facilitate overstaying will lose their accreditation. Mr Seymour says the policy is designed to rebuild confidence in immigration by restoring fairness and accountability. “People are rightly cynical about politicians promising to slash migration numbers. In 2017, Labour campaigned on reducing net migration by 30,000. NZ First campaigned on reducing net migration to 10,000. The rest is history. “The two parties formed a Government, and after two years of their Government net migration had risen to 80,000. If it wasn’t for COVID closing the borders, they would have held the record for migration under one Government. “We need an immigration system that recognises New Zealand’s heritage as a nation of settlers. We need new migrants to grow and develop, but that migration must work for New Zealand. “Success requires a common set of expectations; respect our freedoms, uphold our democratic values, contribute to infrastructure, speak English, obey the law, and fill genuine gaps in the economy.”

@allie__voss I prefer to dress casually most of the time, but I would never dress poorly for a wedding.

I saw someone say that modern men have a very narrow view of beauty - either as sexual or as a nice ocean view - that they don't feel a connection to it As a result they've lost their sense of responsibility for creating more beauty in the world (i.e. by dressing well)

@rocknrollofall Rush

What's your nomination as the best trio band of all time? I'll start: ZZ Top

@FiredUpCoug Bring back the old EU

How Disney can save the Star Wars franchise in two simple steps: 1) Declare that Kathleen Kennedy's sequel trilogy is non-cannon. 2) Replace it with Timothy Zahn's trilogy.

@Beno10_MFC 8

Only the smartest nearly got the value of C. It requires top level IQ Can you solve?

@Jennnyyyyyy 13 kg

What is the weight of Wolf? 🤔 Difficulty - Hardest 😉

@JamesMelville Don't forget having a police state.

The Beatles The Rolling Stones Oasis JK Rowling James Bond Billy Connolly William Shakespeare Football clubs Wimbledon Georgian architecture Crisps Cheese Pubs Tea Strawberries Fish & Chips Gun control History Accents Pessimism

@RazorFist Chandler was funny.

I guess they had to be something, since being funny was out of the question.

@allie__voss There's nothing wrong with pursuing your dreams as long as you're realistic and have a backup plan.

I honestly think “Do what you love even if it doesn’t pay!!!” is awful career advice Do what pays well that you don’t hate, then have hobbies and side gigs outside of work Stop asking for every type of personal fulfillment from your 9-5

@lisavsworld I started thinking seriously about having kids in my late teens. I was absolutely sure I wanted them in my early 20s.

I always knew I wanted to be a mother. All from the day I first picked up that 12in plastic t-rex, cradled it in my arms, and called it "baby."

@lisavsworld You could always stay silent, get picked, then nullify when the time comes.

it's me

@ThatEricAlper I'm still kicking myself for not seeing Soundgarden when I had the chance.

What is the concert you didn't go to, for whatever reason, that you have regretted ever since? The one that still stings when you think about it?

@lisavsworld @AngulusTerrarum Not just the American government. Marxists have infiltrated institutions across the West.

@AngulusTerrarum That if you don't take them seriously, the violent overthrow of the American government is happening in about 20 years.

One thing you should know about me... I am not a snob in anything other than food quality and your poor, inaccurate takes on Marxism.

@lisavsworld I've always enjoyed the series. I reread them every so often.

Why everyone should read Harry Potter. You want to talk about the canon of great literature? Harry Potter isn't Tolstoy or Dostoevsky or Jane Austen, but it is almost solely responsible for an entire generation learning how to love reading. It is now the entry point of great literature. Those who started their love of reading with Harry Potter are the ones who go on to love reading the most.

@Lauren_Southern There may be something to that. I have personally distanced myself from the manosphere. But I still think many of your criticisms of feminism are valid.

@TheStaad The Reformation happened for a reason. The Catholic Church has been corrupt for centuries.

Catholicism isn’t a “denomination.” It’s the original, universal Church Denominations are a man-made Protestant thing. There are thousands of them Be the original kind of Christian. Be Catholic

@Jennnyyyyyy 18 kg

What is the weight of Lion? 🤔 Difficulty - Medium Pro 🤠

@matt_horncastle They get paid too much already.

We need to double or triple the pay of MPS so we get better people. It currently does not attract the best we have.